Adams is well known to fans of Star Trek for portraying Ishka (also known as "Moogie"), mother of the Ferengi brothers Rom and Quark in the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Adams was in fact over nine years younger than Armin Shimerman, the actor who portrayed her son Quark, and was heavily made up to appear as an older Ferengi woman. She was a popular figure not only on the show but in personal appearances at various Star Trek functions and conventions.

She appeared in guest roles on a variety of TV shows including Just Shoot Me!, Murphy Brown, and Party of Five, and with her father in his TV series Check It Out! and TV movie Get Smart Again. Adams played a lead role in the 1991 independent feature film little secrets. She was also a talented lyricist and with her collaborator David Burke wrote pop songs as well as commercial jingles and TV theme songs.